From His Fake Wife to Billionaire Heiress Chapter 127: Get Complicated

This was the real high society of Havenbrook—rules rooted deep in tradition.

These people might accept a man having a mistress on the side. But what they would never accept was this kind of messy relationship between two people who were supposed to be brother and sister.

In their eyes, that was basically incest. The kind of shame that would make the whole family a target of gossip and ridicule for years.

"Of course not," Riley said with a smile.

She actually started defending Lucas.

"You know Lucas," she went on. "He's always been a little soft-hearted. He's always treated Sophia like his real sister. Maybe after we got married, I've been taking up too much of his time. He's been neglecting her a little. She's just a young girl who depends on him. Sometimes her behavior might be a bit... off because of that."

But the more Riley tried to explain it away, the more someone like Amanda—who'd seen it all—could read between the lines.

Oh, something is definitely going on between Lucas and Sophia.

Riley smiled coldly on the inside.

The more generous I act right now, the more I protect the Ashford family's image and Lucas' dignity—the bigger the explosion will be when the truth finally comes out.

When that happens, all the dirt and blame will fall on the Ashford family.

And me? I'll just be the poor victim. Wronged and deceived, but still kind enough to protect her husband's reputation.

"You're too nice for your own good," Amanda said with a sigh.

Riley chatted with Amanda and the others for a few more minutes. She smoothly steered the conversation toward the latest fashion trends and art auctions. The mood warmed up again.

Then her phone buzzed.

Riley found a quiet moment to check it. It was a text from Sebastian.

He typed, "Come to the VIP room at the end of the left hallway on the third floor."

Riley put on an apologetic look. "Amanda, I'm so sorry. I need to go find my husband."

"Go," Amanda said, waving her off. "Business comes first."

Riley gave them an apologetic smile, turned, and left. She headed for the spiral staircase that led upstairs.

It was a different world up there. The third-floor hallway was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.

The thick carpet swallowed every sound. The air smelled faintly of incense—private, elegant, exclusive.

She reached the end of the hallway. The heavy rosewood door was slightly ajar, letting out a thin line of warm light.

Riley pushed the door open gently. Only a few wall sconces were lit in the whole VIP room.

In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window stood Sebastian—tall, broad-shouldered, his back to her.

He held a glass of champagne, looking out at the view.

From where he stood, he could overlook the glittering, chaotic banquet hall below—bright lights, shifting shadows, and endless fake smiles and hollow pleasantries.

From up here, it all probably looked like a carefully staged silent film to him.

Which means... he definitely saw everything that just happened between Sophia and me.

Riley's heart missed a beat for some reason.

She pulled herself together, gathered her dress, and walked over slowly.

"Enjoying the view, Mr. Torres?" She stopped a few feet away from him. "Does it feel good standing up here, watching all those people down there like puppets? Like you're the one pulling the strings?"

Sebastian turned his head slowly at the sound of her voice.

The glittering lights from outside scattered in his eyes like broken pieces of glass.

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Not bad," he said seriously.

Riley wasn't expecting him to just own it like that. She paused for a second, then laughed.

She walked over and stood next to him. She followed his gaze down to the crowd below, then turned to face him. "So," she said, cutting straight to the point, "why did you want to see me?"

Sebastian pulled his gaze away from the window and let it land on her face.

The atmosphere in the room shifted—subtle, charged.

He seemed to be searching for the right words, trying to figure out how to say "I just wanted to see you" without making it too obvious and without letting her catch on.

But before he could open his mouth, a strange male voice—slightly cocky—cut in from behind them. "Sebastian! I've been looking all over for you, man. So this is where you've been hiding."

Whatever Sebastian was about to say died in his throat.

He turned his head toward the door. His eyes went cold.

Riley looked, too.

A young man in a flashy purple suit was leaning lazily against the doorframe.

He wasn't as tall or broad as Sebastian—looked a little thinner, actually. But his sharp, upturned eyes and high nose bridge had a faint, passing resemblance to Sebastian.

But on Sebastian, they looked cold and commanding. On this guy, they just looked smug and shallow—handsome, but in a cheap way.

This must be Aiden, the Quinn family's only son. The host of tonight's banquet. And Sebastian's cousin.

Her heart sank.

So much for a quiet meeting. Looks like things are about to get complicated.

Aiden acted like he hadn't even noticed Sebastian's death glare. He strolled right into the room, his eyes bouncing back and forth between Sebastian and Riley with clear interest.